


put it in a song

by eururong



Series: 'put it in a song' verse [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Bus, F/M, Secret Admirer, Slice of Life, fem!baekhyun, fem!chen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-22 16:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11971428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eururong/pseuds/eururong
Summary: [Prompt #H32] As a teacher, there’s a long list of things Baekhyun expects to go wrong on any given Tuesday. Finding a letter in her bag from a secret admirer? Not one of them.





	put it in a song

**Author's Note:**

> To the prompter: it might not be exactly what you wanted, but I do hope you can enjoy it.  
> To everyone else: please excuse this self-indulgent slice of life, and spare a thought to the countless drafts that didn’t make it.

“Ms. Byun!” Jiwoo screams, hanging upside-down on the jungle gym as her head begins filling with blood and slowly turns red, “Look at me!! Ms. Byun!!” 

Baekhyun waves from the other side of the dirt playground with one hand, struggling to carry both of her shoulder bags and the cardboard box filled with cooking pans and lids. Jiwoo swings herself up and hops to the ground, and Baekhyun lets out a sigh when she gets down safely. Jiwoo’s scuffed and bruised little legs scurry as fast as they can until she’s beside Baekhyun, walking into the building together. Baekhyun manages to exchange her sneakers for her school slippers before continuing down the hall, Jiwoo still around her knees and threatening to trip her. 

“Ms. Byun, what’s in the box?” Jiwoo finally asks when they’ve reached the sliding door of the staff room. Baekhyun smiles down at her and gives her a pat on the head with her free hand. 

“It’s a secret for second period today. Tell everyone if they behave well we can all find out, hm?” 

Jiwoo’s eyes widen with the knowledge, pulling her lower lip between her teeth in a failed attempt to suppress the excited squeal that escapes her. She nods vigorously, pig tails swaying, and before Baekhyun can say anything else she’s rushing down the hall to share the news she’s been blessed with. 

“No running!” Baekhyun shouts after her, but either Jiwoo doesn’t hear or doesn’t care, because she doesn’t slow down a bit. Baekhyun opens the door to the staffroom, bowing and sharing greetings with her coworkers as she shuffles to her desk. Sighing in relief, she drops the box of cooking pans on her desk with a clang, rubs at her tired biceps and vows she’s going to start working out more. 

Her short moment of relief is shattered when a familiar figure slides into her peripheral, the smell of coffee drifting from the bright yellow mug in their hand. 

“Morning,” Jongdae smirks, the little kitten curls of her smile disappearing into the steam of her coffee, “What’s in the box?” 

Baekhyun sighs and wonders exactly how many times she’ll need to answer the question before second period. 

“Going to do a science slash home ec experiment slash snack second period,” Baekhyun explains, peeling back the lid of the cardboard box so Jongdae can see the pans and popcorn kernels, “Basically an excuse to eat popcorn and get paid for it.” 

“Nice,” Jongdae says before chuckling, “I’m sure the kids will like it too. How was your night?” 

“Good,” Baekhyun begins, turning away to dig in her bag for her lesson planner and pencil case, “I ordered some Chinese and watched Knowing Brothers while….” 

Her voice trails off when she finds a piece of paper folded into one of those notes people would pass in middle school. Baekhyun may be a lot of things, but unorganized is not one of them, and she knows every single thing she’s put in her own bag. 

“What’s that?” Jongdae asks, chin digging into the fleshy part of Baekhyun’s shoulder to look at the note. Baekhyun shrugs her off and scowls at the note. She never lets any of her kids near her bag because it’s just asking for disaster, so it can’t be one of them. Jongdae slurps her coffee noisily in Baekhyun’s ear. After unfolding the note quickly, she realizes that she doesn’t recognize the handwriting at all. 

_Hi!_  
_I'm Park Chanyeol and I know that this might sounds creepy but I really want to be your friend?_  
_(I'm not a stalker or something I swear!!!)_  
_I see you everyday at the bus stop and we ride the same bus too… and I'm really enchanted by you._  
_I think you're nice and interesting! Can we maybe be friends? I'm a nice guy I swear._  
_My kakao ID is yeollieyeollie. I really hope you'll contact me._  
_I'll wait for your text!_

“What the fuck!” Jongdae squawks, and Baekhyun turns to look at her. Both of their eyes are wide, but Jongdae’s appear to be excited and Baekhyun thinks hers might look mortified. 

Just then, the chime rings, telling students to get to their homerooms and teachers to come together for the staff meeting. Jongdae’s open mouth transforms into a smirk as she slinks back to her own desk, eyebrows waggling before she turns around in her chair. Baekhyun stuffs the note back into her bag and vows not to think of it for the rest of the day. 

\----

After lunch, at recess, Baekhyun is cornered by Jongdae under the tree she’d been using for shade as she monitored for inevitable foolishness. Jongdae is doing that thing with her face again, where she looks entirely too smug and satisfied for her own good. She reaches out and pokes Baekhyun in the side, right in-between her ribs where she knows Baekhyun is ticklish. Baekhyun squirms away before she can giggle.

“So,” Jongdae starts, looking out at the kids and scowling when she sees Kibum kick dirt at Jonghyun, “What are you going to do about the note?” 

Baekhyun pulls at her bangs and sucks her lower lip into her mouth. She had honestly been successful with putting it out of her mind with how busy her day at been. But now that Jongdae had brought it up again, Baekhyun feels her stomach begin to twist in knots. 

"It's just so creepy," She complains, her voice rising into a whine, “Like, how awkward do you have to do something like this? I'm debating calling the cops." 

The noise from Jongdae’s mouth is unattractive. Baekhyun huffs and moves away from the tree, deciding that she should check on her kids who are playing on the jungle gym. She’s followed by close on her heels, spluttering as she tries to think of something to say. 

"This could be a great opportunity to meet someone!" Jongdae argues, “You never get to meet anyone because of how busy you are. There’s nothing wrong with just getting to know him. He could be a really nice guy? He’s probably shy." 

"I don't want to know someone like him! He might even know where I live!” Baekhyun clenches her jaw at the thought. "I’m gonna tell him off when I see him tomorrow." 

"You don't even know what he looks like.” 

Well shit, Jongdae had her there. All Baekhyun had was a Kakao ID and a name. Baekhyun won't tell Jongdae she's right though, so she walks away again, ignoring the shouts behind her.

\----

Baekhyun isn't surprised when Jongdae brings it up again after school while she's grading her children's hangul. She is surprised, however, when she sees Jongdae dragged Kyungsoo with her.

Kyungsoo, one of the third-grade homeroom teachers, was the other teacher in their same-age group. After a horrible experiment in dating where both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun realized the phrase 'opposites attract' was a bold-faced lie, they decided they were much better off as friends. All of the things that Baekhyun had come to resent in Kyungsoo as a boyfriend - his limited facial expressions, his unrelenting level-headedness, and his reserved nature - were things she had truly come to treasure in him as a friend. 

After all, someone needed to control Jongdae and herself in staff meetings. 

"Kyungsoo, tell her what you told me," Jongdae commands, drinking what Baekhyun can only assume is her fifth coffee of the day. He shoots her a deadpan look before letting out a sigh. Kyungsoo always had a soft spot for Jongdae, despite her bossiness and general loud nature. 

"You should get to know the note-guy and maybe not... punch him in the face," Kyungsoo deadpans. A silence settles as Baekhyun waits but Kyungsoo doesn’t continue. 

“That’s all?” Baekhyun asks, and narrows her eyes in an attempt to seem skeptical. Kyungsoo shrugs. 

“Yeah. What’s the harm? At the very least note-guy can become your commute buddy or something." 

“Do Kyungsoo, do you want me to be a victim of stranger danger? Is my life not precious to you?" Baekhyun blurts, loud enough that some of the older teachers in the staffroom turn to glare. Jongdae slaps a hand on her shoulder and snaps her bra strap, but Baekhyun bites down on her lip to avoid giving her the satisfaction of flinching. 

“There's nothing wrong with getting to know him. How often do you get to meet new people anyway?" Kyungsoo mutters, cheeks beginning to flush at the stares from their colleagues. His message is so eerily similar to Jongdae’s that Baekhyun wonders exactly how much they had talked about this before approaching her. 

“Send him a message and… just don't be yourself tomorrow when you see him. Be like, a nicer version of you." 

"Yeah," Jongdae agrees, “Throw the kid a bone, huh?" 

They turn and leave at the same time with such coordination that Baekhyun’s arms break out in goosebumps. 

Later that night, Baekhyun is laying on her bed, scrolling through Instagram. Her walk home from the bus stop had been tense with Baekhyun looking over her shoulder ever other step. The entire way she clutched an exacto knife in her hand, knuckles white with force. He said he was a nice guy but…. better safe than sorry. 

_My kakao ID is yeollieyeollie. I really hope you'll contact me._

Baekhyun had searched for the ID when she arrived home in the evening, and her stomach sank a bit when the profile picture was nothing but a yellow Lab with sunglasses on. Cute, but decidedly unhelpful. It would have been all too easy if she had his face too. No matter, she’ll move onto Plan B. 

Her phone vibrates with a new message in Kakao and she nearly drops it onto her face. 

[23:11] **kjd_91** : kekekeke did you mesage him yet?  
[23:11] **hyunbun** : no. not going to either. i have a plan in place  
[23:12] **kjd_91** : !!!!!!!!  
[23:12] **kjd_91** : tell me!!  
[23:12] **kjd_91** : i can let you know if it’s a good plan or not keke  
[23:16] **hyunbun** : you think i NEED or TRUST your judgement????  
[23:16] **kjd_91** : ...yes?  
[23:50] **kid_91** : baekhyun?

\----

Baekhyun wakes up so late the next morning that she has no time to eat breakfast, put on decent clothes, or even apply any makeup. Nearly slipping and falling when she scrambles down the ladder from her sleeping loft, she barely manages to put on a classic polo and dark jean combo and brush her hair before tumbling out of the door.

As she approaches the crowded bus stop, she pulls her phone from her back pocket and hangs back a bit while she starts a new chat with the mystery kakao ID. She fires off a simple _hey_ and waits. 

Baekhyun watches the crowd carefully and - _yes_ , there he is. It has to be him, with the shocked look that had lit up his face and the way he’s now wildly looking back and forth. It turns out her stalker, Park Chanyeol, is the awkward guy who’s a head taller than everyone else and always looks uncomfortable in the bus seats. 

Baekhyun had first noticed him one morning a few months ago when he tripped over his own two feet and nearly took out three other passengers. Unfortunately, she had also noticed that he is quite handsome in a boyish way. Even if his ears stick out a bit strangely. 

With long strides, Baekhyun makes her way to where he stands. She stops directly in front of him, close enough that she can smell the cologne he’s wearing. The note held between two of her fingers, Baekhyun raises it so it’s nearly eye level with Chanyeol. His ears immediately turn red and the corners of his mouth shoot downwards. 

“You’re Park Chanyeol, I’m guessing,” Baekhyun sniffs. She has to tilt her head up so she can meet his eyes and she hopes the angle she’s tilting her head at looks intimidating. “Do you always send creepy notes to women you don’t know, or am I just special?” 

“No, no -" Some people turn towards them with curious eyes. Baekhyun takes note of just how deep his voice is, betraying his youthful appearance. “I just…” 

“You just what? Hm? Have you followed me home?” Baekhyun feels the fear and anger from yesterday come bubbling up to the surface again, just as fresh as before. 

There’s a desperate look in Chanyeol’s eyes and he blinks rapidly. “I’ve never…. I would never.” 

"Oh, so you just like having people be uncomfortable and scared. I looked over my shoulder the entire day yesterday because of your weird-ass note.” Baekhyun can’t even control the word vomit at this point, adrenaline pumping too hard for rational thought. 

She tucks the note into the front pocket of his button-up and is almost embarrassed at how hard her hands are shaking. “You said in your little note that you’re a nice guy. Maybe you are, but you’re also a fucking creep. Writing a note and sneaking it in my bag instead of just saying something normal.” 

Chanyeol opens and closes his mouth a few times, looking like a fish out of water. His entire face has turned red and he reaches up with one hand to rub at his nose. When the bus arrives, Chanyeol is the last to board and he shuffles his way all the way to the back to sit in a corner seat. As he passes by her, Baekhyun thinks his eyes may be shinier than before.

\----

After managing to avoid Jongdae all day long, Baekhyun thinks she deserves an award. But she can’t avoid her forever, and after an emergency meeting about food allergies and next month’s lunch menu, Baekhyun is cornered in the kitchen attached to the staff room. Quite literally cornered, when Jongdae’s sits on the kitchen counter and props her legs against the refrigerator door with Baekhyun in-between. Not exactly the most professional position to be seen in.

“So?” 

Just then, Kyungsoo enters the kitchen and begins opening drawers in quick succession. 

“Kyungsoo,” Jongdae sounds exasperated, “I’m trying to interrogate Baekhyun! Stop being so noisy.” 

His movements stop just long enough for him to make eye contact with Jongdae. And as always, he looks completely unimpressed. Baekhyun muffles a laugh in her sleeve. 

“I’m looking for the 1000 count bag of popsicle sticks for art class first period tomorrow because I don’t want to go out and buy it myself. I’m, you know, _actually working_. What we get paid to do. You’d better hurry with your interrogation before someone sees you like this.” 

Baekhyun attempts to escape while Jongdae is temporarily distracted, but is wrestled back into submission. Underneath all the cable-knit and denim, Jongdae is surprisingly wiry and strong. 

“I told him off and he got embarrassed,” Baekhyun shrugs, “I’ve noticed him before though." 

Jongdae’s eyes light up. Even Kyungsoo seems to be a little interested as he glances over his shoulder. “What does he look like?” 

She could start with telling Jongdae about how tall he is and how large his hands are, about his fairy-ears or his over-gelled hair. She could finish by telling her that she may have made him cry in public. But what Baekhyun settles for is, 

“He’s ugly and gross." 

Jongdae barks out a laugh. “Oh, my god. You’re so predictable. I bet he's gorgeous,” she declares, the self-satisfied look on her face entirely too much. 

“He’s most definitely not,” Baekhyun protests, perhaps a bit too loudly because Mrs. Choi peeks her head through the doorway and frowns. Jongdae hops down from the counter and pinches Baekhyun’s sides before letting her run from the kitchen. 

Back at her own desk for the first time since the morning meeting, Baekhyun stretches in her chair before pulling her phone from the top drawer of her desk. Her jaw drops open when she sees how many unread messages she has waiting for her. 

[11:45] **yeollieyeollie** : hello. i’m so sorry if i made you feel uncomfortable with my letter  
[11:45] **yeollieyeollie** : i really didn’t want to do that! really.  
[11:46] **yeollieyeollie** : i’m not very good at approaching people, i guess? and i thought maybe it would be cute?  
[11:46] **yeollieyeollie** : i wish i had just talked to you like a normal person!  
[14:30] **yeollieyeollie** : i told my friend about what happened and he said i was the biggest idiot in the world  
[14:30] **yeollieyeollie** : and i agree. it was a dumb thing to do.  
[17:00] **yeollieyeollie** : i meant it when i said i wasn’t stalking you either. please don’t be scared going home.  
[17:15] **yeollieyeollie** : anyway, i just wanted to tell you i’m sorry. 

Baekhyun shoves her phone back into the drawer of her desk and runs her fingers through her hair. A trickle of guilt settles in her stomach after seeing Chanyeol’s words. Although Baekhyun would never admit it, especially to her face, Jongdae was probably right. 

Perhaps Chanyeol was just awkward, shy, and a little socially challenged. Perhaps. She clears her throat, grabs her worksheets to copy and exits the staffroom, but not before catching the knowing look Kyungsoo sent her way.

\----

The next morning, Baekhyun has time to eat breakfast, put on nice clothes, and even apply some makeup. She doesn't want to think about the butterflies in her stomach that made her wake up so early or about why she decided to put on eyeliner and even powder in her brows. So instead, she put on Girls Generation while she does her hair and sings loud enough that her neighbors will probably glare at her later.

At the bus stop, Baekhyun clutches her phone to her chest and looks at the people approaching one by one. Park Chanyeol isn’t among them. He isn’t there when the bus arrives either, and Baekhyun boards with a heavy heart. 

It’s the same for the rest of the week. By Friday, Baekhyun still hasn’t laid eyes on Park Chanyeol. 

Baekhyun opens the door to the staff room and steels herself before scanning the room, but doesn’t see Jongdae anywhere. A small sigh of relief. She greets everyone on her way to her desk and drops her bag onto her desk unceremoniously as she flops into her chair and lets her eyes slip closed. 

A shadow passes over her face and Baekhyun is yanked from her thoughts. When she opens her eyes, Kyungsoo peers down at her, bushy eyebrows disappearing into his hairline and eyes wide. 

“Jongdae told me to ask you about your bus ride,” he admits readily, moving from behind Baekhyun’s chair to lean against her desk. 

“She knew I wouldn’t tell her?” Kyungsoo nods. “She’s smarter than I give her credit for, for sure.” 

Despite his attempts to look collected and unexcited, Baekhyun can tell that Kyungsoo is interested himself. 

“Um, he wasn’t there. He hasn’t been there since I told him off. I guess I scared him. I was thinking of apologizing… but you know me.” The laugh Baekhyun follows with is self-deprecating and hollow. 

Kyungsoo’s eyes narrow, and Baekhyun feels herself wilting. 

“Do you feel bad?” 

“I do… He texted me about it like a million times that day too. I just -” Baekhyun sighs and gives up on words entirely. 

“First, apologize to him.” Kyungsoo’s voice is warm. When Baekhyun looks up, he’s giving her a pitiful sort of smile. “You publicly humiliated the man, it’s the least you can do. At least tell him he doesn’t need to change his bus schedule. I get that he made you uncomfortable, but give him a break, huh? You’re annoying and a hothead, but you’re not a total bitch, Baekhyun.” 

“Gee, thanks. You’ll fill in Jongdae so I don’t need to tell her myself that she was right, right?” 

Kyungsoo smiles and tugs on Baekhyun’s ear just enough to hurt. “Of course. What are friends for?"

\----

[17:00] **hyunbun** : Hello, Park Chanyeol. I’m very sorry about the other day at the bus stop. It was rude of me. I shouldn’t have said such things to you. Your note was just very surprising. I shouldn’t have assumed you were that kind of man.  
[17:05] **hyunbun** : Please, at least don’t change your schedule because of me.  
[19:17] **hyunbun** : I hope we’re on the same bus on Monday.

\----

Come Monday, Baekhyun sees Park Chanyeol as he approaches from down the street, his ears unmistakable. He’s doggedly staring at the ground, and stops a good enough distance away from the crowd that it would look strange for Baekhyun to go and stand by him. One fellow passenger, an older woman who gets off in front of the same church every day, looks between them pointedly. Baekhyun shuffles to stand behind a fairly large middle-aged man to avoid her stare.

Chanyeol lags behind when the bus arrives, but Baekhyun makes sure they’re the last two to board. All the seats are taken so they’re left to stand at the front of the bus, Baekhyun facing one window and Chanyeol another. Baekhyun feels so awkward, body as stiff and rigid as a board. She’s willing to bet all the money she has that Chanyeol looks the exact same. It’s suffocating, and Baekhyun itches to do something to get rid of the feeling. 

Before she can think anymore, she turns around so that she and Chanyeol are side by side, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body. Chanyeol looks down at her with surprise, pink lips shaped in a perfect ‘o’. 

“My name is Byun Baekhyun, by the way,” Baekhyun finally says, chewing on her own bottom lip as she dredges up all the bravery in her bones, “Sorry again for the other day. I’m sure you’re not a stalker. I mean, I didn’t see you at all last week creeping around corners, so...” 

The laugh that Chanyeol makes is somewhere between a yelp and someone being strangled. 

“Yeah, no, I’m not. I’m sorry too. And you were right, I should have just been brave enough to talk to you.” 

“It’s fine,” Baekhyun giggles, and she enjoys watching the tension bleed out of Chanyeol’s shoulders. “I am sorry for freaking out at you. My best friend says I’m an annoying hothead and I think he’s right." 

“I would like to try and make it up to you,” Chanyeol says, and he gives Baekhyun a nervous smile and shifts his bag on his shoulder. “Show you I’m not a total creep who’s social inept. I think normal people ask to go to lunch, right? So maybe we could do that?” 

“I can’t,” Baekhyun answers and Chanyeol’s face falls. “I mean - I can’t because I need to eat lunch at work. I’m a teacher." 

"Oh! That explains a lot. What grade do you teach?" 

"First. What do you mean it explains a lot?" The bus makes a hard stop and Baekhyun barely manages to catch herself before she slams into Chanyeol. Chanyeol reaches out as if to grab her by the elbow and steady her, but draws his hand back quickly. 

"Just... you get on the bus sometimes with really interesting stuff in boxes or bags. And some days you're dressed in a suit, and other times I'll see you in a sweat suit," Chanyeol chuckles, cheeks tinged pink. "Like I said in the letter, I think you're interesting. I was wondering what you could do for work." 

"Well, now you know! I babysit mini-demons in flesh suits." 

Chanyeol's laugh is loud enough that his head tilts back with the force of it, despite that it wasn't even _that_ funny of a comment. It's too loud for the early morning bus, with nearly everyone looking up from books or phones to glare. For some reason, Baekhyun finds herself laughing too, though she has the decency to stifle it with the palm of her hand. 

She she begins to tell him about how yesterday little Kibum had gotten into a fight with the third grader who always chased him on the playground and made him cry. She had to make him apologize even though she was secretly very proud of him. Luckily for her, Chanyeol has common sense and agrees that the third grader had it coming. He even adds that he wished she had recorded it. Baekhyun does too. 

Chanyeol peers out the window closely before turning to Baekhyun with wide eyes. "Isn't your stop soon?" 

Baekhyun lets out a squeak and rushes to press the signal with just a few moments to spare. 

"Have a good day, Baekhyun," Chanyeol smiles as she shuffles past him to exit. Something warm and comfortable settles in the lowest part of Baekhyun's belly when she sees Chanyeol waving at her through the bus window. She squashes the urge to wave back, not wanting for the both of them to look like idiots. 

Just before she goes through the school gates, Baekhyun pulls out her cellphone from her pocket. 

[7:55] **hyunbun** : Instead of lunch, let's get dinner after work?  
[7:56] **yeollieyeollie** : okay! thank you! you won't regret it baekhyun (๑˃̵　ᴗ　˂̵)و  
[7:56] **yeollieyeollie** : is tomorrow ok?  
[7:68] **hyunbun** : yep! 

Kyungsoo corners her in the copy room during the mid-morning break and shocks Baekhyun by admitting that he sought her out himself. She reluctantly tells him about their morning conversation when Kyungsoo parks himself in the doorway and declares he won't move until she does. 

Baekhyun knows that at some point during the day Kyungsoo had the time to tell Jongdae about what happened when she's approached by her after school. 

"First, as an educator, I'm here to tell you your opinion on what Kibum did is despicable," Jongdae drawls and flips her bangs out of her eyes, "Second, as a woman, I'm here to congratulate you on redeeming yourself. If you want, I can help you get ready before you go." 

Baekhyun pulls out the stack of notebooks she needs to look over and pointedly slams them on her desk. Jongdae isn't ruffled a bit. "What do I need help getting ready for? It's not a date, just dinner." 

"It's not a date? Honey." Jongdae rolls her eyes. "Before you start running your mouth just think about it. You have a decent rack and nice hips. Use them." 

With that, she turns and saunters back to her own desk.

\----

The next morning, while Baekhyun manages to snatch a seat in the front of the bus, Chanyeol is jostled by the crowd until he stands somewhere near the back, sandwiched between two above-average sized men. He gives Baekhyun a feeble wave and a pout, and Baekhyun needs to quiet her laugh by biting down hard on her lower lip. Before she gets off the bus, Baekhyun pulls out her phone and waves it in Chanyeol’s direction, mouthing _contact me later_? He nods enthusiastically before restraining himself a bit when the man next to him scowls.

Miraculously, Baekhyun’s day is fairly uneventful for a Friday. After dismissal, she checks her phone and finds no messages waiting for her. It was still early, she supposed. When she puts her phone back in her desk Mrs. Choi eyes her critically over the stack of books separating their desks before asking, “Waiting for your boyfriend to text you?” 

Baekhyun flushes all across her cheeks and to her ears, opening and closing her mouth a few times as she tries to retort. Mrs. Choi waves it away with an amused glint in her eye and says, “Don’t worry, Ms. Byun. I hope you enjoy your evening.” 

“Thank you,” Baekhyun finally stammers, “But he really isn’t my boyfriend. Really.” 

Just then, her phone vibrates from inside her desk. 

[15:50] **yeollieyeollie** : I’ll meet you at the bus stop near your school at 7?  
[15:51] **yeollieyeollie** : we can walk to the restaurant i had in mind  
[15:51] **yeollieyeollie** : are you okay with western food?  
[15:52] **hyunbun** : 7 sounds good. i’m okay with walking and western food! see you then (*＾＾*) 

The rest of her afternoon grading and lesson planning crawls by. She finally sneaks to the changing room because it wouldn’t hurt to fix her hair and put on some makeup even if it’s _not_ a date. While Baekhyun has too much pride to ask Jongdae for help, Jongdae is too good of a friend to make Baekhyun flounder by herself. She comes just in time to fix the mess that Baekhyun called eyeliner and properly pins her hair back. 

“Should we send you off like proper parents then?” Kyungsoo asks at 6:50 with a wry smile. Baekhyun knows her eyeroll gives Kyungsoo some satisfaction but she can’t hold herself back. Jongdae joins in and the pair of them hang off Baekhyun when she leaves the staff room. For a second, she’s afraid they’ll actually try to walk her to the bus stop, but they hang back and offer unnecessary final words of encouragement. Baekhyun really doesn’t need them, of course, because it’s not a date. 

At the bus stop Chanyeol is waiting, suit jacket folded over one arm and briefcase in hand. He jumps from his seat when he sees her approach and rocks on the balls of his feet until Baekhyun is nearly beside him. 

"Hello," Baekhyun says when Chanyeol doesn't, "How was your day?" 

"Good. Same as usual, really. Great.” Chanyeol frowns and scrunches his nose, perhaps frustrated with his awkward words. "How was yours?" 

Baekhyun bites down on her lower lip to suppress a smile. "It was all right. Same as usual. Should we get going? I'm pretty hungry." 

Chanyeol nods and turns to walk in the general direction of the closest subway station. He's so tall and his legs are so long that Baekhyun feels like she's nearly jogging trying to keep up with his strides. For every step he takes, she nearly needs to take two. Baekhyun feels beads of sweat begin to form on her brow. 

"Are you planning on telling me where we're going, Park Chanyeol?" Baekhyun teases. 

Chanyeol gives an embarrassed chuckle. "I'm sorry. I was thinking we could try a Mexican restaurant. Do you like Mexican food?" 

Baekhyun shrugs. She pictures a map of the world in her mind, and is pretty sure Mexico is right below America but hotter and spicier. "Never had it, but I'm willing to try. You'll have to forgive me, Chanyeol, I'm probably not as worldly as you are." 

"No, no! I'm not worldly at all," Chanyeol mutters, finally slowing his steps when he sees Baekhyun’s exhaustion, "I just hear a lot about these types of foreign restaurants at work. Oh, here it is!” 

Vatos Tacos is shabby in a calculated way, with intentionally exposed brick and bench style seating. Considering it's a Tuesday night, it's packed, and when they enter the restaurant they're slammed with a wall of noise and appetizing smells. The table they're seated at is only a few inches away from the one next to them, full of office women drunk on Coronas. 

Most definitely not a date. 

"So, you talk a lot about these types of restaurants at work?" Baekhyun asks once the server has dropped off their menus and retreated again. 

Chanyeol nods while staring at his own menu, "Yeah. I actually work for a marketing company that has a lot of foreign clients so we try to keep up with the international community. This place is pretty good." 

"Then I'll trust you to order something for me because I don't know anything about this kind of food. I'm good with spicy food, too." 

When their food finally comes, Baekhyun's mouth waters at the sight of chicken tacos topped with plenty of sour cream and spicy salsa. The margarita that she's slowly sipping on has her blood running hot and thick and her arms turning heavy. Chanyeol's worked through just as much of his, though he's clearly not as affected because of his size. 

If Chanyeol is bothered by the way Baekhyun feels the need to fill silence with chatter, it doesn't show a bit. In fact, with a bit of alcohol in him, he's giving as good as he gets. And Baekhyun finds herself falling into the slightly spastic way Chanyeol laughs. She's hanging on every word he has to say about his best friend, Oh Sehun, who's natural bitch face has cost them enough contracts that he's not invited to meetings anymore. 

"I was in a rock band in high school," He eventually confesses, salsa clinging to his lower lip before he licks it away. 

Baekhyun squints her eyes and tries to picture the lanky, awkward guy in front of her with a guitar or behind a drumset. Chanyeol, surprisingly, doesn't deflate under her stare and even looks a bit haughty. "Okay, I see it I guess. So? Why'd you give it up?" 

"I didn't want to. I wanted to study music in college, maybe get into producing, but my parents thought I should do something more.... stable. So I went for marketing. If there's one thing humans are good at, it's buying stuff, right?" 

"Too true. I wanted to go into music too, but my parents also told me to do something better. I became a teacher. I still get to sing and play the piano during music class so it works out." 

Chanyeol's eyes light up and widen like he's heard something completely unbelievable. "You play piano and sing?" 

"Yep. I'm pretty good, if you could believe it," Baekhyun says as she drains the rest of her drink, full and just tipsy enough to satisfy. Chanyeol looks at her like she's made of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Baekhyun finds herself smirking. 

"I can believe it. I make YouTube videos. Of songs. Cover songs. Anonymously, of course. Like, not showing faces and stuff." 

Baekhyun's smirk grows. "Park Chanyeol, are you trying to suggest we record YouTube videos together?" 

For as brave as he had been growing over the course of the night, helped by the alcohol, Chanyeol now looks a bit sheepish. His shoulders slump slightly before he nods, worrying at his lower lip. 

"Sounds like it could be interesting," Baekhyun laughs and she can see Chanyeol sigh his relief, "I'll check out your super-secret anonymous YouTube channel." 

They fight over the bill for all of ten seconds before Chanyeol yanks it from Baekhyun's hand. He threatens to use it as leverage to ensure she'll meet him again to record together... not that he needs it. When they exit the restaurant, Baekhyun's legs a bit wobbly and she nearly cries at the thought of a shaky train ride and walk home. Luckily for her, Chanyeol suggests they split a cab. 

In the cab, they sit firmly on their respective sides, although the conversation still flows easily. Chanyeol tells her about his family's dog, and Baekhyun entertains him with stories of Mongryong and his strange taste for her elder brother’s socks. She's nearly finished with telling him about the time she had lost him down by the Han when the taxi pulls over at their morning bus stop. 

Chanyeol gives the driver much more than his fair share before propping the door open. "I'll get out here and walk the rest of the way. You take the cab to your place, okay?" 

Baekhyun gapes at him. "Why?" 

"Wouldn't want you to think I was stalking you, would I?" Chanyeol winks and opens the door fully before hopping out, bending at the waist to still be seen, "I had a great time, Baekhyun. Thank you." 

The sincerity in his words has Baekhyun's cheeks heating up, and she twists her fingers into the fabric of her sweater before replying softly, "Thank you for dinner." 

"Good night. Sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Chanyeol closes the door and steps back to the curb. Barely gathering her wits, Baekhyun manages to fire off her address to the taxi driver and looks back to see Chanyeol waving. She waves back shyly and feels something warm settle in her stomach that's definitely _not_ the alcohol. 

[23:49] **yeollieyeollie** : don't forget to check out my youtube! it's loey2711!  
[23:50] **hyunbun** : i won't!  
[23:52] **hyunbun** : wait... let me guess... your birthday is november 27?  
[23:53] **yeollieyeollie** : Σ(°Д°υ)  
[23:54] **hyunbun** : wow this channel is real top secret. good job. kekeke  
[23:54] **yeollieyeollie** : (ᗒᗩᗕ)  
[23:56] **hyunbun** : don't worry, i’m still listening! see you in the morning chanyeol 

When Baekhyun slips into the sheets it's far past her self-imposed bed time, but she still finds herself opening the YouTube app and searching for Chanyeol's username. She listens to the videos one after another, falling asleep to the soft strumming of a guitar and Chanyeols low, raspy voice. 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol sit next to each other on the bus the next morning, Chanyeol's knees angled out into the aisle just slightly. Baekhyun offers him one of her earbuds and opens up to the video she had fallen asleep to last night. 

"I like this one," She explains simply, smiling at the embarrassed look on Chanyeol's face, "I like the way that you slowed it down from the original." 

Quiet enough not to disturb the other riders around them, Baekhyun sings the first few lines from the chorus, foot tapping to the beat on its own accord. 

"Your voice is great," Chanyeol speaks eventually, long after Baekhyun has stopped singing. "Do you like 10cm? I've been working on a cover." 

Preening a bit at the praise, Baekhyun tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. She gives a noncommittal hum and says, "What song are you thinking of?"

\----

In the conference room on Thursday afternoon Jongdae chases Baekhyun around the tables while Kyungsoo looks on from his seat silently. As the youngest in the school, they've been sent ahead of the rest of the staff to set up for the monthly meeting. However, set-up is short enough that Jongdae has decided interrogating Baekhyun is a good way to fill the rest of their time.

"Tell me, Byun Baekhyun!" Jongdae stage whispers, voice nearing a whine. Baekhyun knows how badly she must want to scream but is too afraid of getting caught. 

Baekhyun comes to a hard stop between one table and the chalk board, slamming her fists down on the table. "There's nothing to tell! I'm going to his house to sing!" 

They're both out of breath from their little scuffle. Jongdae breathes deeply and smooths her hair before folding her arms across her chest. "You're telling me you're going to the house of the same guy who you threatened to kill only a week ago? There's no way you haven't kissed him!" 

"I haven't kissed him!" Baekhyun says loudly enough for it to echo. The door to the conference room flies open, the principal glowering as he steps into the room. Her face hot, Baekhyun hurries and flops into the seat next to Kyungsoo, with Jongdae taking the one on his other side. 

"And another thing," Baekhyun leans around Kyungsoo to say and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, "I never threatened to kill him." 

Jongdae easily dismisses it with a wave of her hand, ignoring Baekhyun to neatly organize the stack of copies in front of her. 

Just before the meeting starts, Kyungsoo leans into Baekhyun and knocks their shoulders together gently. She grunts as a reply, raising her eyebrows. "You haven't kissed him, but before you go tomorrow, you should think about whether you want to kiss him. And it's okay if you do."

\----

Baekhyun and Chanyeol are sitting close enough for their thighs to touch. It's not the first time this week they have, but it's really the first time Baekhyun put so much thought into it. What Kyungsoo had said to her yesterday had been eating at her since, stomach a tangled mess.

Now that he had gotten over much, if not all, of his initial shyness, Chanyeol was quite nice to talk to on her morning commute and text in her free time in the afternoon and evening. Baekhyun felt a bit lighter over the past few days. Baekhyun had forgotten how refreshing it was to talk to other humans that weren’t teachers. They were becoming friends, that much was clear, but she had no idea if she herself wanted to take things further. 

Chanyeol seems to sense her discomfort and draws into himself slightly, brow furrowed in worry. 

"Are you not feeling well, Baekhyun?" 

"No, I feel fine. Thank you. Just... tired," Baekhyun lies, trying to give him an apologetic smile that probably looks more like a grimace. She clears her throat and tries to push all of the troublesome questions about their budding relationship out of their mind. 

Hesitating a bit before he speaks, Chanyeol murmurs, "If you don't want to come by this evening it's fine. Don't push yourself." 

"No! I'll be there." Baekhyun says quickly, emphasizing with a nod. 

For a Friday, the day passes quite slowly. When Baekhyun finally sends the kids home, giving little Jiwoo one last hug, she feels like she's been at work for a week. Back aching and feet throbbing, she uses her chair cushion as an emergency pillow. She lets her eyes slip closed and listens to the hum of the staff room around her. Soon, however, she's wide awake when her mind tricks her, conjuring up an image of a laughing Park Chanyeol with an acoustic guitar, looking equal parts rock-star and huge dork. Down time ruined, Baekhyun's puts herself back to work. 

A few minutes later a small, warm hand pinches at the tense muscles of Baekhyun's neck and Baekhyun hears a familiar, deep voice. "Jongdae sent me." 

With a scoff, Baekhyun rolls her eyes when she looks up at Kyungsoo. "Don't lie, Do Kyungsoo. You also wanted to come say something to me too." 

"Guilty," Kyungsoo's smile is small and easy, "Listen. Sorry about yesterday. Didn't mean to pressure you, but you can be a little insensitive towards yourself. I just wanted for you to pause and think about what you want, that's all." 

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath before continuing, "And just... be careful? Tell us his address and you know the drill. Me or Jongdae will come and get you whatever if you need us. Just call. Seriously." 

Casting a glance over her shoulder at Jongdae, who's watching with sharp eyes and her characteristic kitty curl smile, Baekhyun feels her chest tighten. 

Really, how did she ever deserve or meet friends like these? How did she find people who can see past all the brash words and brasher actions? She's too lucky. 

"Thanks, Soo. I’d kiss you, but it’d be weird," She says thickly, biting at the inside of her cheek. Never one to deal with crying well, Kyungsoo squeezes her neck again gently before retreating back to his desk. Jongdae blows her a kiss and sips at her mug, her eyes saying _I sent Kyungsoo aren't I nice? I'm nice. Remember this_. 

Baekhyun will.

\----

The sun is setting when Baekhyun finally steps off the bus. There's enough of a chill in the air to raise the skin on her arms into goosebumps. Chanyeol is leaning against the bus shelter, hands shoved deep in the pockets of a pair of sweatpants.

"I see you had time to change," Baekhyun comments as she approaches, "I have to say I'm pretty jealous." 

Chanyeol offers to wait for her to go home and change herself, but Baekhyun declines. Despite all her nerves about how she and Chanyeol’s relationship is turning out, Baekhyun is still excited to work on some music. Outside of his apartment, Baekhyun makes sure to snap a picture and fire it off to her group chat with Jongdae and Kyungsoo. She adds _if I die look for my body here keke_. 

"What's that for?" 

"In case you murder me." Baekhyun says frankly and offers a bright smile. Chanyeol manages an awkward chuckle, seeming to just realize he's not completely off the hook. 

Compared to her modest officetel, Chanyeol’s apartment is almost a mansion. They enter a long, neat hallway that leads into a spacious kitchen and living. Baekhyun sees multiple doors. He has _rooms_. Chanyeol points them out for her - bathroom, bedroom, guestroom, and studio. Dropping her bag in a chair at the kitchen table, Baekhyun turns to Chanyeol with a stunned expression. 

"Guest bedroom? Studio? Dude." Chanyeol scratches the back of his neck at her outburst. "You said you worked in marketing, you didn't mention being loaded." 

"Honestly, my family is well off... I had a bit of help." 

Baekhyun eyes Chanyeol critically as he makes his way to the fridge to pull out two bottles of water. 

“Are you like... some chaebol son?" Baekhyun asks when Chanyeol places one of the bottles in her outstretched hand, "You don't really seem like one." 

"No, my family isn't that rich. But they own a few businesses here and there." 

_A few businesses here and there_. Baekhyun thinks back to her childhoods spent on her grandmother's farm digging for sweet potatoes. She thinks about the second-hand keyboard with the wonky speaker pressed against the wall in her cramped living room. 

Chanyeol draws her out from her thoughts by saying, "Should I have told you before?" 

"No, I mean… it’s fine.” Baekhyun takes a long swing from her water bottle. “Can I see your studio?” 

It's a modestly sized room full of office equipment and instruments. A long work desk against the wall has a sound mixing board and a keyboard on top with a laptop and additional monitor beside them. There are slick speakers as well, and a small collection of guitars in the corner. In reality it’s not a lot, but everything looks high quality. Baekhyun’s palms begin to sweat in intimidation. 

The smile on Chanyeol’s face is excited and wide enough to make his eyes crinkle. 

“Wanna try out the keyboard?” He asks, moving to the desk and pulling out both office chairs. Baekhyun settles next to him and slides back and forth on the hardwood floor. Chanyeol switches on the keyboard and settles back, waiting expectantly. 

There’s no use beating around the bush or trying to hide it when it’s so obvious, so Baekhyun bites the bullet. “I’m nervous. You have a nice keyboard and a nice professional studio.” 

“You’ll be great,” Chanyeol murmurs, looking a bit embarrassed as well, “No pressure. It’s just for fun, you know?” 

Baekhyun takes a deep breath and begins to play the few chords she had thought of to add piano to a song originally only acoustic and drums. Chanyeol bobs his head beside her, brow furrowed in seriousness. Baekhyun plays through the first chorus and then lets her hands fall into her lap unceremoniously. Chanyeol turns to her with a thoughtful look. 

“It’s nice, but it sounds so sad. I always thought it was a… happy song?” 

“It is? But some of the lyrics are also… a little bitter. It’s a bittersweet song?” 

Without saying anything else, Chanyeol powers up his computer and then grabs an acoustic guitar from the corner. He strums slowly, and Baekhyun can tell only a few seconds in that it matches the feel of her piano earlier. Just as abruptly as he started, Chanyeol stops. He’s determined, even a little triumphant when he leans back in his chair and looks at Baekhyun again. 

“Can we start by recording you first?” 

It takes Baekhyun a handful of tries before she makes it to the end of the song, and she’s mesmerized as Chanyeol manages to piece everything together into one track. Next is Chanyeol’s guitar, which he manages to do in just one take. Finally, they record their vocals. They both decide that Chanyeol’s voice, a little raspy and rough around the edges, suits the song a bit better than Baekhyun, so she agrees to provide the backup. 

When Chanyeol plays the finished song back, Baekhyun’s eyes slip closed involuntarily. She lets the sound fill her from her toes and feels her ears turn pink in a mixture of embarrassment and pride. It sounds _good_. Their voices sound good together, the piano and the guitar complement each other and don’t seem to compete. When it finishes, Chanyeol’s look of satisfaction mirrors her own. 

“Your piano sounds great. I can’t believe you never studied, you have a lot of talent.” 

Baekhyun wiggles her hands in Chanyeol’s face. “I just have piano playing hands. I got them from my mom.” 

Chanyeol holds his hand against hers, fingers much longer and thicker than hers. The palms of his hands are hot and dry with fingers rough and calloused from guitar. “You have such slender fingers. I’m jealous.” 

Baekhyun pulls her hand away when her stomach begins to tremble and tries to cover her sudden nervousness with a cough. To her dismay, Chanyeol studies her face carefully and Baekhyun realizes he’s close enough that she could count his eyelashes if she wanted. She feels a cold sweat erupt on the skin of her palms, and is suddenly and painfully reminded of Kyungsoo’s words just a day earlier _you should think about whether you want to kiss him_. 

The moment passes when her stomach growls, forcing the both of them to laugh. 

“Sorry, we’ve been at it for a while, huh?” Chanyeol stands and stretches his arms above his head, joints popping and creaking. “I don’t have anything here I can make really quickly. Want to go to CU?” 

Completely useless at cooking, so Kyungsoo had always jokingly called CU Baekhyun’s kitchen. When they enter the convenience store, she heads straight for the instant noodle aisle and picks up two of her favorites and gets a can of soda as well. Chanyeol gets himself a bento and a banana milk. They sit at the counter table in the window, Baekhyun trying to slurp at her noodles as delicately as possible. If Jongdae were here she’d slap her upside the head for getting something so unladylike. 

“What do you usually eat for dinner, Baekhyun?” 

“I don’t really cook…. I usually just pick up something here.” 

Chanyeol chuckles and nods in understanding. “That would explain why you found your favorite ramyun in like two seconds.” 

“Don’t judge me, Park Chanyeol!” 

“No judging! But if you get tired of eating ramyun and pre-made bentos, I’m a pretty decent cook.” 

Baekhyun can’t help but rolling her eyes in exasperation. “Nice job, money, talented musician and vocalist, decent cook. Is there anything you can’t do?” 

An elbow presses against her side gently and Chanyeol ducks his head in embarrassment. He pushes the wieners in his bento back and forth on his plate. “Aish. Don’t say things like that.” 

The realization that what she had just said sounded very flirtatious hits Baekhyun like a wall and self-consciousness creeps up her neck. Clumsily, she shoves another mouthful of noodles into her mouth. Looking up from his lap, Chanyeol nods at her second cup of ramen, still unopened. “You going to eat that one too?” 

“Not right now. I guess I’ll bring it home.” 

“Lunch tomorrow?” Chanyeol pokes fun, and Baekhyun doesn’t find herself upset. “It’s getting pretty late, huh?” 

Baekhyun’s shocked when she checks the time on her phone and sees it’s creeping towards 1 am. The rest of the food in Chanyeol’s bento is quickly inhaled and he clears both his trash and Baekhyun’s. Baekhyun takes the moment to look at her reflection in the glass of the convenience store, smoothing her hair and checking her face. 

In the reflection, she sees Chanyeol return and stand behind her with a soft smile. “Would it be okay if I walked you home?” 

A fluttering fills her chest as she stands and turns to face Chanyeol. “Yes, if not too much trouble? It is a bit late…” 

Chanyeol’s smile lights up his whole face. He lets Baekhyun lead the way out of the CU and down the street. It’s hard to miss that Chanyeol’s shortened his steps to fall in line with Baekhyun. Their walk is slow and quiet, though not uncomfortable. Her mind preoccupied with her own thoughts, Baekhyun is happy enough to let the walk give her time to think. 

Perhaps Baekhyun did want to kiss Chanyeol. He was, after all, as nice and as kind as anyone she had ever met. He was talented and attractive to boot. And despite their unconventional meeting, why shouldn’t she want to kiss him? 

And she’s sure - well, mostly sure - that Chanyeol would want the same. 

“I live right up there,” Baekhyun says as they round her corner, pointing at her building. Chanyeol has his hands shoved into his pockets again, shoulders rounded. Baekhyun is struck by how young and soft he looks despite his size. 

When Chanyeol speaks, his voice is gentle and deep, “I mean it, about coming to dinner. I’ll cook for you.” 

“Tell me when and I’ll be there.” 

Now standing right outside the entrance, Chanyeol angles his body away from Baekhyun with one foot turned towards the street. With a curt nod, he moves to take another step back. Baekhyun reaches out and wraps her hand around Chanyeol’s wrist before she can spare a second thought. The skin is warm and soft beneath Baekhyun’s palm, and she can feel his pulse hammering against her fingertips. 

Relaxing her grip just slightly, but not letting go, Baekhyun murmurs, “I had a nice time tonight. Thank you.” 

“Me too.” Chanyeol’s voice comes out gravelly when he speaks, and his brow has furrowed in uncertainty. Baekhyun wants to kiss the wrinkles away. _She wants to kiss the wrinkles away_. Her blood runs red hot and she thinks her palm might be sweating again. She drops Chanyeol’s wrist quickly so he won’t notice, and his hand hangs limply at his side. 

As Chanyeol slides himself closer to Baekhyun, the sound of sneakers scuffling against concrete fills her ears. He’s looking at Baekhyun’s face so, so carefully. Almost as if he’s searching for something. His eyes settle on Baekhyun’s lips and she knows. She knows. It’s as if the air around them becomes dense with the knowledge, heavy against her skin and in her lungs. 

“Good night,” Chanyeol says in the deepest tenor Baekhyun has heard from him yet. A zip runs down her spine. 

Another scuffle, and Chanyeol is even closer than before. Baekhyun wants to keep looking at him, but has to tilt her head back to keep her eyes on his face. 

A hand, warm and rough and large rests against the side of her neck before sliding to cup the curve of her cheek. A deep breath escapes from Baekhyun, one she didn’t even know she was holding. For the briefest second, Chanyeol’s tongue peeks from between cherry red lips. His other hand moves to hold Baekhyun’s waist, nearly large enough to wrap from back to front. 

Baekhyun is strung tight like a bow with anticipation, body close to trembling. She just wants for him to fucking kiss her already. But Chanyeol is still giving her time to say no, and though his eyes are as dark as hers, he looks at her like she’s made of glass. 

Unable to wait any longer, Baekhyun decides to answer the unspoken question for him. Rising to the tips of her toes, Baekhyun presses her lips against his. The grip on her waist tightens when Chanyeol begins to kiss back. Smooth, plump lips nearly engulf Baekhyun’s in a kiss that’s chaste but passionate. Chanyeol lightly scrapes at the skin of her lower lip with his teeth before following with his tongue, and Baekhyun opens for him. 

It’s her first time sharing a first kiss like this. It was as if a flower was blooming in her chest, like the sun was peeking from behind a cloud. She was floating. 

Chanyeol pulls away after a few moments, offering short, sweet kisses. He looks so happy, so content, and his eyes are positively sparkling. Baekhyun is sure she looks the same way. The thumb resting against her cheek begins to draw small circles against the skin. 

“You’re so cute,” Chanyeol murmurs, all shyness completely gone. Baekhyun tucks her chin to her sternum before laughing, a mixture of joy and embarrassment. Strong fingers press under her chin and lift her head for Chanyeol to place a brief kiss to her forehead. 

“Come to my place for dinner tomorrow?” 

“Sounds like a date.”

\----

It takes forever for Baekhyun to pull herself from Chanyeol’s arms. It takes even longer for Baekhyun to stop dancing silently in her tiny living room.

Lying in bed, Baekhyun opens up the group text with Jongdae and Kyungsoo. 

[01:45] **hyunbun** : um OK so i’m alive?  
[01:46] **kjd_91** : oh wow it’s pretty late  
[01:46] **kjd_91** : did you just get home?  
[01:46] **kjd_91** : ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴  
[01:47] **dkyungsoo** : i’m glad you’re alive, baekhyun.  
[01:48] **hyunbun** : i got home a little while ago  
[01:50] **kjd_91** : so did you sleep with him?  
[01:50] **dkyungsoo** : really, jongdae? can you please NOT  
[01:50] **kjd_91** : I NEED TO KNOW  
[01:51] **hyunbun** : no. but uh, thanks for your advice kyungsoo  
[01:51] **hyunbun** : (〃 ω 〃)  
[01:51] **hyunbun** : good night, guys!  
[01:52] **dkyunsoo** : no problem, baek  
[01:52] **kjd_91** : what????? what was the advice????  
[01:55] **kjd_91** : omg come on!! tell me!!  
[02:05] **kjd_91** : ಠ ೧ ಠ

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter @ moshimoshh


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